Folding table



FOLDING TABLE Filed Dec. 28, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmmmumiimmk 19 4, WW 1 J WITNESSES I INVENTOR 1. y /Z.'/3snw/L;'7'1; 1

v A TTOR NE YS Get. 28, 1924. 1,513,150

A. E. BEAUDETT FOLDING TABLE Fi [399- 28. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES V.

A TTORNEYS Fatented 0st, 28, 1924.

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FOLDING TABLE.

Application filed December 28, 1923. Serial No. 683,231.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALcinn EDWARD BEAU- nn'r'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of r-rlbuquerque, in the county of Bernalillo and State of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a Specification. I i

My present invention relates generally to folding tables and more particularly to that type of table known as a drop-side table, my object being the provision of a simple inexpensive construction involving a permanent central section and drop side sections together with supporting means of such a nature that with either or both of the drop sides elevated or both of said sides in the lower inactive position, the table as awhole will be effectively supported upon feet engaging a supporting surface such as a floor at three points and thus insuring steady uniform support of the table irrespective of whether or not such supporting surface is' level.

A further object is the provision of a strong, durable apparatus of this nature which will permit of the seating of persons around the table with little if any inconvenience occasioned to those seated'by virtue of striking the. supports beneath the table.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my present invention and form a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side view of the complete table showing both of its drop sides supportcd in elevated position,

Figure 2 is a similar view with both of the drop sides in the lower inactive position,

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View with the parts in the position of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detail horizontal section looking down upon the inner connected ends of the three support engaging feet,

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken substantia-lly on line 55 of Figure 2 showing merely the table supporting frame,

Figure 6 is a side View of the complete table supporting frame, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of certain portions to be hereinafter specifically referred to. r

Referring now to these figures my invention relates to that type of table wherein drop sides 10 and 11 are hinged. asat 12 adjacent to and along their inner edges to the sides of a central permanent section 13,

the latter as well as the drop sides 10 and 11 being of rectangular lengthwise elongated form so that when the drop sides 10 and 11 are raised and held in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 'a square or approximately square table results. I

The drop sides 10 and 11 are provided along their lower surfaces with side rails 14 and end rails 15fand the permanent central section 13 has upon its lower surface a pair of end cross battens 16 into which are tenoned the ends of a pair of centrally disposed lengthwise parallel rails 17, the latterforming a part of the table supporting frame and having disposed therehetween and rigidly connected thereto the upper ends of the up ights 18 the lower ends of the latter, of which are tenoned into and rigidly connected to the lower" rigid supporting, lfoot piece '19 whose outer lower end 20 is adapted for engagement with the floor or other supporting surface. I

The inner end 21 of the rigid foot piece 19 has secured to its upper and lower surfaces rigid triangular gussets 22 and to these gussets 22, the'movable foot piecest23 and 2 1, each similar in size and shape tothe rigid foot piece 19, are pivotally attached as at 25 so that they may swing toward and away from one another between-singularly related inner and outer positions as seen by a comparison of Figures 1 and 2. a

Each of the movable supportsof which the foot pieces 28 and 2 1 form the lowermostmembers, has spaced uprights 26 and 27 of which the upper ends of the inner ,uprights 26 are tenoned at their upper ends as at 28 to the upper horizontal pivot bars 29, the latter of which, are' pivotally connected at their inner ends by vertical bolts 30 to the longitudinal rails 17 as'bestseen by a com parison of Figures 5 and 6.

The outer ends of the pivot bars 2%),intermediate the ends of which the tenons 28 enter, are tenoned as at 31 into the outer uprights 27 below-the upper ends of the latter and these outer uprights 27 in turnhavc their upper ends tenone-d as at 32, see Figures 6 and 7, into stop bars 33 intermediate the ends of the latter. The inner ends of these stop bars 33 are securely fastened above the outer portions of the pivot bars 29 by virtue of interposed spacing blocks 84 and vertical bolts 35 while the outer portions of the stop bars, projecting beyond the outer uprights 27 extend freefor swinging move ment beneath the central rigid section 13 of the table top and also beneath the drop sides 10 and 11 when the latter are raised as Figures 1 and, 2. The pivot bars 29 thus swing in aplane below'the lengthwise rails 17 of the supporting frame while thestop bars 33, being vertically offset above the ivot bars swin in the same )lane with the supporting feet are shifted outwardly to support the drop sides 10 and ll'after the latter have been raised to the level of the permanent section 13, and it is thus apparent that in shifting the movable supporting feet either toward one another oraway from one another, it is simply necessary to continue their movement until the stop bars 33 are arrested either by virtue of contact with the upperrails 17 of the supporting frame or the stop members 36 of the drop sides.

It is also obviousfrom the foregoing that in either the inner or the outer positions of the movable supporting feet, the latter with the rigid supporting foot 19 provide for engagement of the supporting frame with the floor or other supporting surface atthree points so that the table a whole, either with the dropsides raised or lowered, will have a firm support insuring steadiness in any position and irrespective of inequalities in the floor or supporting surface itself.

I claim:

1. A folding table'including a central permanent section and drop sides, having a supporting frame including upper rails lengthwise of and below the permanent section, a rigid foot piece below and parallel to the said rails having uprights connected there to at spaced points and rigidly secured at theirupper ends to the said rails, a pair or angular'ly disposed relatively movable foot pieces similar to the rigid foot piece-and pivotally connected at their inner ends to the latter, each of said movable foot pieces ha:

fastened to the outer uprights .below the upa per ends of the latter, stop bars offset above and parallel with the pivot bars and rigidly connected at their inner ends to the latter, said stop bars being engageable with the said upper frame rails to limit inward movement of the movable foot pieces toward'one' another and connected intermediate their ends to the upper ends of the outer uprights, said step bars having outer freely projecting ends and said dropsides having stop memhere with which the stop bars are engageable to limit outward shifting movement of the movable feet away from one another.

2. A folding table including a rigid central section and drop sides hinged to the central section, having a supporting frame including upper rails secured centrally along the said rigid intermediate section, a rigid foot piece below andparallel with the said rails, having uprights connecting the same at spaced points with the said upper rails, a pair of movable foot pieces, each similar in shape to the rigid foot piece, pivotally connected at their inner: ends to the inner end of the rigid foot piece and shiftable toward and away from one another, each of said movable foot pieces having an upper pivot bar to which it is. rigidly connected, swingable below he said upper frame rails and pivotally connected at its inner end to one of the latter, and each movable foot piece also having an upper stop bar rigidly connected thereto and to its pivot bar and vertically offset in parallel relation to the latter for. movement in the plane of the said upper frame rails beneath the rigid section of the table top and thesaid drop sides, said stop bars being engageable with the said upper Y frame rails when the movable foot pieces are shifted toward one another, and rigid stopscarried by the drop sides with which the said step bars are engageable when the movable foot pieces are shifte away from one another.

ALCIDE EDWARD BEAUDETT. 

